A new demo, for a newbie.

Jessica · Joined: 11 Jun 2008 Posts: 4

Hi guys,

I have just introduced myself on the newbie section. I am a drama school graduate from London and I'm really keen to get started in voice over and voice work in general. If any of you get a sec I would love some feedback on my new voicereel! Be honest, I can take it!

Looking forward to hearing from you and chatting more soon!

Jess
xXx

September Day Leach · **Voice Talent** Joined: 31 Aug 2005 Posts: 1526

Hi Jessica!

Wow! What a great voice you have! Nice texture and tone Wink

Now, you just need to get a demo produced that's worthy of your voice. The current one is way too long, way too slow, and, I am assuming, recorded on one mic. There's just very little variation from one spot to the next. Your voice is ear-catching but there's nothing there to keep me listening. You need a little more "whiz, bang, pow". Also, there's a few too many dramatic pauses going on. Let us know you can act once and then show us another trick Smile

Find yourself a production guy to spice that demo up! Welcome aboard!!

-Ember

Chris Mezzolesta · **Voice Talent** Joined: 18 Jul 2006 Posts: 258

Yeah, what she said! I felt you captured the character and subtext of each read beautifully, now just to "kick it up a notch" (is Emeril Live on in the UK??!! Very Happy

), and just mix it up and tighten it up! Very nice.

Allison Scussel · **Voice Talent** Joined: 25 Apr 2007 Posts: 928

Jessica,

September gave you excellent advice regarding your demo. You've got a crisp, natural sound that's clean. Makes me want to bathe in cucumber scented body wash.

All the best!
~Ally~

Scott Pollak · Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2008, 15:37 (GMT) Post subject:

I won't add any more suggestions to the excellent ones you've already gotten, but I WILL say I LOVE your voice and with a tighter demo you'd be unbeatable.

Wow.

GOOD stuff. GOOD, GOOD stuff here!

Rajiv Hasan · **Voice Talent** Joined: 30 Sep 2006 Posts: 355

Cor blimey, Jessica, that is quality! Cool

Although...

While I love it as much as everyone else, I tend to agree with September's observation that you could do with mixing it up a bit more - a little more music here, a switch of tone and pacing there. Try not to keep similar-sounding clips too close to each other.

Having said that, you have a great, natural acting style, and you might just end up cornering your own niche!

All the best,
Rajiv

PS. Hello, nice to meet you! (Saves me a trip to the 'intros' thread.)

Maxine Dunn · **Voice Talent** Joined: 25 Apr 2004 Posts: 675

Hi Jessica ~

Your voice is achingly marvelous! I absolutely love the sound of your voice. I second everything that September said but wanted to add.... have you thought of audio books as well?

Your acting ability just shines and your tone of voice is so pleasing to the ear, I can really imagine you voicing some wonderful books on tape.

Best of luck with everything!

xox
Maxine

Jessica · Joined: 11 Jun 2008 Posts: 4

Thanks for the feedback guys, it really is appreciated and surprising. I really didn't enjoy listening to it myself. But I guess a lot of people don't enjoy the sound of their own voice!

I now have no idea where to go or what to do. I can't really afford to get a new, faster pased demo made and have no idea how to re-jig this one!!!

I really want to get into audio books, more than anything. Obviously, I'll do pretty much anything though, so long as I don;t have to work inan office for much longer!!!! Crying or Very sad

So any suggestions on what to do next???

xXx

Melba Sibrel · Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2008, 16:30 (GMT) Post subject:

Maybe start with where you had this done? Cut it down, clean it up. Separate by genre. (ie, a commercial reel, a narratives reel, character reel, audiobook reel, etc.)

Audiobook demos are a source of great debate, it seems --anywhere from 2 mins., one clip, to 15 minutes of 1 to 5 clips. Julie Williams is a VO artist who does a newsletter and the most recent one focused on audiobooks. (voice-overs dot com) It had some helpful info in it.

But don't limit yourself to just audiobooks or VO either, with that training.

By the way, your voice sounds a great deal like Julia Sawalha -- she's quite good, in my opinion. I mean, anyone who can hold such serious indignation surrounded by Saunders, Lumley, Whitfield and Horrocks is spectacularly "in the moment."

Best of luck!

Jenna Sharpe · **Voice Talent** Joined: 19 Sep 2007 Posts: 46

Hi Jessica and welcome. I just signed up to CCP yesterday! I think we are doing the opposite of eachother. I am trying to get more experience on stage and you are trying to get more experience with voice!

As a fellow Brit I have to say your voice type/sound is very popular here at the moment which could be a good thing or could be a disadvantage. You sound very natural and down to earth and seem to have no trouble with your reads. I think you sound like that new Bond Girl Gemma Atherton (sp?)

My overall impression of the reel was mixed. For me personally it was a bit low energy, dark and depressing what with the monologues and the same pitch, tempo and accent. The girls aloud spot at the beginning was the one with the most energy so it was a good choice to start with that.

I agree that with your honest and sincere delivery you could do very well with audiobooks but not unless you can show a greater emotional range. I could tell you were a drama student but try not to take yourself too seriously. I would like to hear your lighter, more humorous side and a few more spots with some warmth, happiness and character range in. If you could showcase these attributes you will have the whole package and would appeal to a wider range of markets!

Best of luck.

Maxine Dunn · **Voice Talent** Joined: 25 Apr 2004 Posts: 675

Hi Jessica ~

If you're wondering what to do next, my advice would be to get your demo divvied-up as quickly as possible as Melba advised. Separate out the commercials, the narration stuff, the dramatic audio-book type reads and get them all onto their own private MP3’s as SOON as possible. This shouldn’t cost too much at all if you make your firm decisions before you ask the studio to chop it up for you and put them together. OR, you could just email the whole lot to Marc Graue in Burbank and get him to divvy it up for you. He’s a wizard-master at creating fantabulous demos. www.fixinthemix.com His email and phone number are at the bottom of the home page. Trust me, enlisting Marc’s help is money well spent. He’s fast, efficient, and incredible at putting demos together. (And if you have a little extra time, listen to the "Outake of the Month," and then listen to the OTHER Outakes of the Month...and you'll be roaring with laughter. It'll make your day!)

Then, even though you might have some learning still to do, as you obviously ROCK in many ways, I’d start calling every single video production company, T.V. station, radio station, ad agency, etc., in the phone book and start getting your voice out there. If you’re interested, PM me and I can write you up a really good pitch to call clients with and it’ll get you started. I’m a master at cold-calling clients so I’d be happy to help you get started with that.

Remember also that you don’t need to appeal to every single type of client out there. (Commercials, audio-books, narration, video-game, etc.) So don’t worry about having a fabulous demo for each genre. Just get started. Three months from now you could have done some jobs that you can start incorporating into your demos.

You’ll need to be careful of naysayers who’ll tell you not to try and market yourself until you have a FABULOUS, professional demo. I agree in one sense that you need to have a good demo to start marketing yourself, but you’ve got so much amazing raw talent that it would be a crime not to start getting your name out there. People in the know will hear that and want to snap you up.

I’d bet money that in your first 10 calls to clients who agreed to listen to you demos, you’d get at least a couple of jobs. Your voice is super-unique. Go for it! Don’t wait. If you want to get out of that office job your daily watch-words should be action-action-action!!

Xox
Maxine

Jessica · Joined: 11 Jun 2008 Posts: 4

I've got all of them on seperate MP3s already. The thing is, there are a few funny ones and a coouple of different accents, but the way they have been put together, you can't really tell. Also not sure how to go about the packaging of my CD when I send it out, labels etc!

You are all SO helpful. Thanks so much peeps!

xXx